As in previous years, the Courier expanded its storytelling reach with videos. While some of the videos brought our print and online stories to life, others stood on their own, capturing artists at work, explaining Australian slang to Canadians or looking behind the scenes at a rather unusual photoshoot.
These are the 10 most viewed videos we made last year.
10. Noah Reitman brings the bass to the VSO
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's assistant principal bassist Noah Reitman gives the lowdown on his instrument, practising habits and his favourite thing about playing in a symphony that is 100 years old.
9. Drug-check program goes beyond Downtown Eastside
The days of trusting a guy who knows a guy are over, thanks to this pilot project that brings drug-checking services to communities outside of the Downtown Eastside.
8. Spinning chandelier installation
Everything you need to know about the $1.2-million "Spinning Chandelier" public art piece that work crews have been busy installing under the Granville Bridge. Note: since this video was made, the price tag of said art piece has been clocked at closer to $4.8 million.
* We’ve embedded the YouTube version of this video, which has considerably fewer views, because Facebook has disabled the online embed function on this video.
7. Autumn is East Vancouver
Every autumn, Cambridge Street in East Vancouver attracts thousands of photographers, Instagrammers, posers and sashayers in search of the perfect fall photo-op.
*Note we’ve embedded the YouTube version of this video, which has considerably fewer views, because Facebook downgraded the quality of the original video on its site.
6. Alley Mural Project brings colour to Downtown Eastside
A group of mural artists are bringing colour and hope to a notorious alley in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
*Note we’ve embedded the YouTube version of this video, which has considerably fewer views, because Facebook downgraded the quality of the original video on its site.
5. Time in a bottle
In preparing for Shaughnessy elementary's 100th anniversary, the school discovered a time capsule had been placed inside its foundation stone in 1919. This is what they found.
*Note we’ve embedded the YouTube version of this video, which has considerably fewer views, because Facebook downgraded the quality of the original video on its site
4. VSO's bass trombonist Ilan Morgentstern lets it slide
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's bass trombonist Ilan Morgenstern calls trombones the Steve Buscemi of instruments. He also performs a song called "Meat Salad" for us.
3. How to understand Australians
Ever heard of budgie smugglers? We learnt some Aussie slang in honour of Australia Day.
2. Needle felt artist Holman Wang does a great job
Meet Holman Wang, the Vancouver lawyer and needle felt artist who's putting a new spin on children's books, from War and Peace to Star Wars to the many jobs parents do.
1. Behind the scenes of our sex doll photo shoot
The photo shoot for the Courier's feature story on Kamloops' House of Dolls Inc.'s sex dolls and the Taboo Naughty But Nice Show Vancouver was definitely one of our most unusual ones, and the accompanying video was our most watched, garnering 152,000 views on YouTube and 24,000 views on Facebook at time of publishing this.
